Electric lighting fixture



Sept 28, 1943. p. D. PHILLIPS 2,330,738

ELECTRIC LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed July 9, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 28, 1943. P. D. PHILLIPS ELECTRIC LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed July 9, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 &

wwy MK UNITED.

Patented Sept. 28, 1943 assons f ELECTRIC'LIGHTING rlx'runa raul J). Phillips, Elmhurst. nL, assignor to Benjamin Electric Mfg. Company, Des .Plaines, -Ill.,,a corporation of Illinois "Application July 9, 1941, Serial No. 401,606

e I a .4 Claims. My invention relates to electric lighting fixtures and more particularly to fixtures for use with elongated tubular fluorescentbulbs.

One of the objects of my invention is to pro-- vide an improved fixture in which the bulb holders, starter switches, ballasts, etc., are mounted in and supported by an elongated channel-like cover or hood and in which the reflector member may be readily attached and detached with respect to the hood for inspection and repair of the apparatus in the hood and for cleaning the reflector, e

A further object is to provide an improved grounding for the reflector. A further object is .to,,.provide an improved construction in which a substantially continuous hood may be provided underneath which may be mounted a plurality of reflector members.

Afurther object is to provide a .fixture having improved means for. retaining the wiring in position. I t

Further objects and advantages oftheinvention will be'apparent from the description. and

In the dra ings, in which an embodiment of myinvention isshownb r Figural is avertical sectional "view showing the reflectordetached from the cover orhood; I' Fig. 2 is a bottom planview of l the hood;

Fig. 3 is a bottomplanview. of the. reflector;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 ofFig. 1;

1 Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the bridge and ap- .paratus mounted thereon; ,Fig. 6 is a section substantially on the 6-6 of Fig. 5; g

Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse section of a splice member substantiallyon theline 1-1 of Fig. 8'; Fig. 8 is a section substantially on the line lie-8 ofFig.7;-and..

.9 is an'axial sectional .view showing part of theconnectionbetween the reflectorand hood. Referring to the drawings injdetail, the construction shown comprises a cover or hood I, apparatus}, such as ballasts, compensators, and auxiliaries for controlling the current, mounted in and supported by the hood I, aplurality of bridges 3 of formed sheet metal extending across the..channel-like hood and secured to the sides thereof,bulb holders 5,.and starter switch holders Gmounted on said bridges, and a trough-like reflector member 1 extending, longitudinally of the channeled hood member across the lower open side thereof and secured thereto beneath the bridge members 3. The bulb holders 5 mountedon the bridge member 3 extend through line registering openings 8 and 9 in the bridge member and reflector into the reflector member for supporting the bulb or bulbs in position on the reflector. The wiring base portion ill of the lamp holder is on the upper side of the bridge member while the lamp holder proper lies below the bridge member. The bridge member 3 has a downwardly extending pocket I l to receive the upper base portions l2 of the bulb holders. This pocket has a central horizontal portion for engaging the base ID, the middle bulb holder, and inclined side portions for the two outside bulb holders. The reflector is provided with pockets [2a in which the pockets ll nest. f

The bridge member 3 is secured to the hood I by a pair of screws I3 extending through openings in the sides of the hood and threaded into tapped openings in the wing portions I3a of the bridge. An additional support is provided for the bridge in the bracket 14 which supports the reflector 1 underneath the hood. This bracket carries a screw stud l5 at its lower end which extends through anopening in the bridge so that when the reflector is pushed up in place. and connected to the hood by means vof the swiveled nut IS, the bridge will be clamped between the swiveled nut and the foot of the bracket 14.

The starter switch socket 6 is mounted on .a wing portion ll of the bridge. The side wall cf the channel-like hood and the wing portion ll of the bridge. have registering openings I8 in registration with the starter switch socket so that the starter switch [9 may be inserted .in

the socket through the opening inthe side of the hood and may be connected by giving a slight turn to the switch. p

Where it is desired to secure two hood sections together, end to end, 9. splice section 20 is provided (Figs. 7 and 8), having the same general cross section as the hood but telescoping inside the hood sections. r

A number of housing sections maybe put together to form, in effect, acontinuous housing, each single reflector section being fitted with lamp-holders, etc., for the two or three lamps of one reflector, or with twosets of such apparatus for the lamps in two reflectors. The splice pieces and also the closing end caps 2| are secured in place and the assembly made rigid by beingclamped at either side of the housing, between the housing walls themselves and the upturned wings I3a of the lamp holder bridge by the same bolts or screws l3 that hold the lamp holder bridge in place and by a third screw 22 that threads into the top of the splice piece 30 or cap 2| by the screw head engaging on the top or outside of the housing. Slots 23 in the side wings of the splice 20 and cap 2| and a slot 24 in the hood top make it possible, after loosening the securing screws, to slide these pieces into place.

After the hood I and parts carried thereby have been installed and it is desired to secure the reflector 1 in ,place on the hood, the parts are brought to the position shown in Fig. 1, the reflector is raised, to cause the downwardly-extending portions of the lamp holders to enter the openings 9 in the top of the reflector, the swivel nuts iii are turned to screw them onto the studs [5 to clamp the reflector I securely in position and to effect a ground connection.

If for any reason it is desired to remove the reflector from the hood, and the parts carried thereby, the bulbs are first removed from their holders 5, the swivel nuts I6 are loosened to free them'from the studs l5, and the -reflector,is then lowered toytheposition shown in Fig. 1. I Inorderto-prevent tangling of the wiring a plurality of spring loops or hooks 25 are provided, securedat their upperends to the hood and extending downwardly and terminating in a semicircular hook-like lower end. With thisconstruction, the wires may be slipped into place so as to be retained by hooks as shown in Fig. 4.

In this fixture the ballasts or controls 2 are bolted to the continuous sectional hood or cover I, and the lamp'holders 5 and starter switch-sockets 6 are mounted in groups on removable, formed steel plates'or bridges 3 which in turn areheld up inplace in the hood in-properly spaced relation.

The reflectors 1 maybe completely detached from the hood I, being supported by a pair of formed straps 14 for each reflector, which straps are secured to the hood.

Bythis construction, the lamp holders, starter switch sockets, controls-and all of thewiringare entirelv .Within the hood. Afte the lamps ,in any reflector are removed, the, reflector may be detached by simply unscrewing thetwo knurled head thumbscrews swivele-d on th reflector.

This..detachability of the reflector provides ready access to the lamp-holders, wiring. etc-., .in the hood and enables one style of reflector to be changed for another. It also provides for cleaning of reflectors by immersion in a liquid.

The method of attaching th reflector to the hoodrnot, only provides for easy-attachment and detachment of the reflector, but also afiords an effective ground. Theupperporcelain enamel is rem'oved'to bare the upper surface Of the reflector to a circular pattern sl ghtly greater in diameter than the cupped metal washer 26 over which the pper end of the thumb nut i6 is loosely swaged. A looselyfitting cushion washer 21 is provided to protect the enamel on the underside of the reflector. When the thumb nut is screwed up tightly onthe stud l 5, the shoulder 28 on the head end of the nut l6 bears against the washer 2'! and forces the cupped washer 26 snuglyagainst the bridge and also presses the upper surface f the reflector l snugly against the underside of the cupped washer. A ground is thus efiected directly between the'bared upper surface of the reflector and the vunder side of the bared metal supporting strap of bridge 3.

These ,thin metal straps or bridges support and position the lamp holders as well as the starter switch sockets. These bridges, with their lamp holders and sockets, constitute subassemblies, providing accurate spacing and positioning and v.in place and the assembly made rigid b being clamped at each side of the housing or hood between the'walls of the hood and the lugs of the lamp holder bridges by means of the same bolts or screws which hold the bridges in place. The housing or hood may be supported in any usual or suitable manner, as by straps attached to the hood, or conductor conduits secured in holes whereknockouts are provided in the hood. In order to keep all of the wiring clear of the ballast covers which are apt to'reach temperatures above that for which ordinary insulation is intended, the retaining loops 25 are-provided, secured to the-hood, shaped'so as to enable the surplus wire .to be snapped over the hooksand held in position, thereby thus avoiding a tangle of wires and-leads. The construction is vsuch that while in general two lamps or bulbs are provided .in each .reflector, .a third lamp may be added at [anytime Without dismantling or disturbing insulation, lamp holders, sockets, ballasts, etc.

Further modifications will be apparenttothose sk lledin the art and it is desired-therefore, that the invention be limited only bythe scope of the appended claims.

.Havingthus described my invention, what I claim and desire .to;secure by Letters-Patent .is:

l. Allighting fixture foruse with elongated tubularfluorescent bulbs comprising anelongated channel-l ke hood. .spaced bridge members .extending across said channel and secured to the sides thereof, .a trough-like reflector and .covermember extendinglengthwise of saidchannel-l ke hood and across the open bottom thereof and closing its lower side andsupported thereby beneath said br dge members, and lbulb'hol 'lers mounted on ,said bridge member and extending into aid reflector member for supportin a bul in position in said reflector. each bulb holder'having a wiring bas above the bridge vmemberand hav nglamp engaging contacts in said reflector, saidbridge and reflector having registering openings through which said bulb holders extend. said bridge members and reflector having. nesting pockets, and said'wiring basesbeing seated'inthe pockets in the brid e members. I 2. ,A lighting fixture for use with elongated tubular fluorescent bulbs comp sing an elongated channel-like hood. 'a trough-like reflector member ex ending longitudinally of said channel'member and across theopen bottom thereof,".bulb holders for sunport ngia bulb impos tion insaid reflector, and means Iorj ecuring said reflector to said hood comprising. a plurality of screws mounted on said hood and ,extendingdownwardly therefrom, a plurality of nuts swiveled on said reflector for engaging said screws, .abracket' secured to said hood having a foot ,portion adjacent the uppers urface of the reflector, anda cup-like washer having a swivel connection with said nut and engaging said foot portion and the upper surface of the'reflector.

3. A lighting fixture for-use with elongated tubular fluorescent bulbs comprising an elongated channel-like hood, a trough-like :reflector member extending longitudinally of said channel member and across the open bottom thereof, bulb holders for supporting a bulb in position in said reflector, and means for securing said reflector to said hood comprising a plurality of screws mounted on said hood and extending downwardly therefrom, a plurality of nuts swiveled on said reflector for engaging said screws, a bracket secured to said hood havin a foot portion adjacent the upper surface of the reflector, and a cup-like washer having a swivel connection with said nut and engaging said foot portion and the upper surface of the reflector, the upper surface of said reflector being coated with vitreous enamel and bared to expose the metal for engagement with said washer.

4. A lighting fixture for use with elongated tubular fluorescentbulbs comprising an elongated channel-like hood, a trough-like reflector memher extending lonigtudinally of said channel member and across the open bottom thereof, bulb holders mounted in fixed position relative to said hood as the hood and reflector member are being assembled for supporting a, bulb in position in said reflector, said reflector having openings PAUL D. PHILLIPS. 

